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i guess the cheesecake factory didn't want to hire me. never got a call back.

no matter, i didn't want to wear a tie anyways.

stepping up the job search. gotta start hitting the pavement again. it wasn't even a bad night tonight, but i was ready to kill. i had no patience for anyone. my 3rd call was a guy who was upset because he had been misled by a store rep. and he kept going off, after about 3 solid minutes of bitching i stopped him, "Hold up. Just stop. Look, i'm sorry the rep told you wrong, this is how it works. that's it. i am going to get this money back on the account, but you need to cool off."

i think it was the hold up that caught his attention. *cough* i may have gone slightly..."urban" with that one :)

i think just in general being grouchy today set me off, then i got my "quality" scores today and was "yelled" at for not following adherence. essentially, you get dinged if you clock out too early for your break, too late for your break, too early BACK from your break, too LATE back from your break, and being late or staying too late for your shift.

now, if i clock out more than one minute early for my break i get in trouble. makes sense, can't have people being all willy nilly with their break times. however, if i clock out late for my break because i was on a call, i get in trouble. so, those nights when that call comes in five minutes before your break and you wind up activating four new phones in different zip codes and different phone plans and what ever else you can think of going wrong...you wind up going an HOUR late for your break. that's a big no-no. how do help it? you can't, unless you employ the accidental release technique. "oops, I sneezed and hit the release button" "oops, i meant to hit hold and hit release instead" etc.

i haven't done that yet.

YET.

:)

maybe i'm just in a funk. this whole every thing you do is monitored stuff is just a little silly. i guess i've fallen out of being comfortable with that.

Actually, if she's using IP Agent or Cisco IPCC, that would be impossible. Phone won't take incoming calls if its in Aux Work. She'd be out of adherence if she were in Auto-In during a break. No, they want you to constantly think you're a step away from being termed for cause. Keeps call center reps on their toes. I sat through an hour's team meeting yesterday whose theme was "it's an employer's market out there."

It has been awhile since I've done it. I do recall that sense that no matter what you do, you're on the chopping block. I recall the constantly shifting goalposts... the intentionally conflicting standards, and so on. I guess the important thing to remember is that nothing is personal. It is hard to stay sane in an environment that's intentionally designed to break you while still somehow getting all possible work out of you. What every employer wants is for you to work a 12 hour day, accept 8 hours of pay, be in constant fear of being fired, and yet chipper and responsive. The places are just meat-grinders... and they know it. It's nothing personal, just a series of contracts, rules, and goals. Be fast! Faster, faster, faster! But be slow, make sure you take the time. Be personable, but not TOO personable. Be nice, but not TOO nice. All the tightrope walking... yech! That's why the turnover is so astounding.

The funny thing is they will threaten you and threaten you and threaten you. Then when you quit, they beg you not to... Well, which is it? One day, they're saying "great job!" Next day, "You're THIS close to geting fired, pal!" After awhile everything they say is completely meaningless.

I'm working in a call center where a major stat is handling time. And it's in work where I cannot under any circumstances interrupt or hasten the call in any way. I have alzheimer's patients filibustering me.

Fortunately, I also don't actually care enough about the job. Or, some days, life in general. I sometimes hope it gets a bit worse, and I do lose the horrible job, and I snap. It'll make for interesting news. ^-^

They always have to have something to hang over you to justify whatever they want... rapid firings, layoffs, pay cuts, transfers, you name it. the name of the game in a modern workplace is to put every worker into an inescapable series of paradoxes and double binds. And if you don't like it, they can hire prisoners, or Indians or Filipinos, etc... There is no way to get ahead. It's hopeless, but you have to keep coming back. Just remember, boyo, it's all just a game to them, so don't take it seriously. I suggest you quit at the next possible moment-where-they-really-need-you. Fuck 'em.

I had one where the lady was trying to use sideways logic. She knew she'd bought at retail 4 times. She agreed on the dates with me. But "all the other meds she gets at the same time have only been picked up 3 times!" The 4th is when her plan hits her with a penalty for not using mail-order. That one med was a $175 difference. She was going to get $175 worth of aggravation out of me. She stayed polite, but... it's insurance. Not knowing your plan does not change the costs.